1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for picture framing.
2. General Background of the Invention
Framed picture units typically comprise a picture assembly of a transparent protective cover (made of glass or plastic), a mat, a picture, and a backing board (in that order from front to back), the outside edges of which are encased in a frame. The most common frames are rectangular in plan, and typically comprise four framing members which are joined together with ends mitered at a 45.degree. angle. The framing members may be made of, for example, wood, metal or plastic. When made of wood, the framing members have an outer surface that is typically decoratively shaped or carved, and an inner surface. The inner surface is usually L-shaped in cross-section, comprising a flat front surface which engages the protective cover and a flat side surface. When using wooden framing members, the members are usually glued or nailed together to form the frame, the assembly is placed in the frame with the protective cover engaging the front inner surface, and tacks or other retaining members are driven into the flat inner side surface of each framing member to secure the picture assembly in the frame.
While wood has, for years, been perhaps the most common framing material, metal and plastic frames are also becoming common. Most metal framing members, like wooden framing members, also have mitered ends cut at a 45.degree. angle, but the means for joining them together is usually different.
Common metal framing members have a front element, an outer side element adjacent and perpendicular to the front element, a back element which is parallel to the front element and disposed intermediate the front and back edges of the outer side element, and an inner side element which is parallel to the outer side element. A groove is formed by the back element, that portion of the outer side element which is behind the back element, and the inner side element. The inner side element extends from the back element as far back as does the outer side element. The groove is partially closed by two coplanar lips, one adjacent and connected to the back edge of each side element. The metal framing members are joined together with joiner members which are L-shaped in plan. These joiner members typically comprise two discrete elements which are substantially equal in size and in shape in plan. One of these elements has two threaded holes, one in each leg of the L, and screws disposed in the holes. The legs of the L are slightly narrower than the distance between the inner and outer side elements, but wider than the opening between the coplanar lips. Two adjacent metal framing members are joined together by inserting a leg of the joiner member in the groove of each framing member, sliding the framing members together, then tightening the two screws of the joiner members. Tightening the screws forces the L-shaped elements apart, causing the blank element to engage the back element of the framing members, and the element having screw holes therein to engage the lips of the groove. Three metal framing members are thus joined, then the picture assembly is slid into the space between the front and back elements of the framing members, with the transparent protective cover engaged with the back surface of the front elements of the three framing members. The fourth framing member is then joined to the second and third framing members, and springs are placed between the backing board and the back elements to secure the picture assembly within the frame.
Various types of plastic picture framing members are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,606 discloses a plastic framing member which is shaped such that it clips onto a picture assembly. The framing member may be colored by conventional polyethylene treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,400 discloses another plastic picture framing member. A plurality of members are joined together with L-shaped corner braces to form a picture frame. A simulated metal or simulated wood laminate may be applied to the outer surfaces of the framing member. A clear acrylic framing member is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,945. The front and back surfaces of the framing member are highly polished such that the framing member is transparent from front to rear. The side surface of the framing member is frosted to conceal the connecting hardware, which comprises L-shaped corner fasteners, from front view.
The above-mentioned wood, metal and plastic framing members are usually cut out of 8'-10' lengths of framing material. These lengths of framing material are usually sold in bulk quantities to frame shops. If a particular color frame is needed for a particular picture, and the frame shop does not have this color in stock, it must either special-order framing material of that color, paint framing material that it has, or lose the sale (which is what most often happens). Special-ordering usually results in time delays and added expense, since bulk quantity discounts generally do not apply to special orders of a few lengths of framing materials. Likewise, painting the framing material can be time consuming and labor intensive, especially if the particular color of paint must be specially mixed. In addition, some customers may not like the appearance of any of the framing material which is in stock at the frame shop, but may desire framing material which is very similar in appearance to some material at the frame shop. It can be seen that there exists a need for framing material whose appearance can be quickly, easily and economically altered.